Solution phase chemistry Development of new synthetic strategies

1. Molecular Design and Synthesis Organic Synthesis • Topics covered are organic synthesis of heterocycles, supramolecular chemistry, bio-organic synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, parallel synthesis, polymer synthesis, microwave assisted organic synthesis • Design of products (based on heterocycles, crown ethers, analogues of porphyrins) that can give rise to supramolecular structures • Design of fluorescent probes • Design of peptides and peptidomimetics • Design of hyperbranched polymers • Design of structural analogues of biologically active molecules (e.g. Bio-isosteres) and natural products with potential applications as pharmaceuticals • Rational design of ligands for specific receptors based on NMR based fragment screening (in house) or Virtual screening (in collaboration) • Solution phase chemistry • Development of new synthetic strategies • Parallel synthesis applied to the generation of libraries of small moleculeswith potential medicinal interest • Microwave assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) investigation of the effect of microwave irradiation on the outcome of the reactions (yield, reaction time) • High pressure reactions (hydrogenation, Diels-Alder chemistry) • Solid phase organic synthesis (SPOS) • Peptide synthesis (SPPS) • Library synthesis Design Synthesis OrganicChemistry Analysis Purification • Usually the products that are synthesised • need extensive purification. Depending • on the amount of product to be purified and • the complexity of the mixture different techniques and tools are used • Recrystallisation • Column chromatography, the standard technique for routine use • Chromatotron : a performant alternative for column chromatography if small amounts of product have to be purified • MPLC or medium pressure liquid chromatography which is a quicker alternative to column chromatography since higher flow speeds are attained than in simple liquid chromatography • HPLC is used for the most difficult separations. Both normal phase and reversed phase columns are available. • NMR analysis (600 MHz NMR spectrometer) • Purity • 3D-structure • Structural dynamics • Microprobe for natural product analysis • Diffusion measurements • Also 300 and 400 MHz equipment for routine use • Mass spectroscopy and analytical HPLC • LC-MS coupled to an ELSD detector ora UV-detector • Purity • Fragmentation patterns  chemical connectivity • HPLC with different stationary phases • CHN analysis,UV measurements, IR measurements • Evaluation of properties/applications • In house tests e.g. Protease inhibition assay, photophysics, fluorescence microscopy, biological testing • In collaboration with industrial or external • academic partners